Point and go navigation system and method

Abstract

A remote operator console provides point and go navigation of a robotic vehicle. The remote operator console provides a display for visual representation of the environment in which the robotic vehicle is operating based on sensor information received from the robotic vehicle. An operator may designate a target point on the display. The robotic vehicle is automatically navigated toward a location in the environment corresponding to the designated target point.

1. A method of providing point and go navigation for remote control of an unmanned robotic vehicle, comprising:
 obtaining sensor information describing an environment in which the unmanned robotic vehicle is operating; 
 communicating the sensor information to a remotely located operator console; 
 displaying a visual representation of the environment on the operator console based on the sensor information; 
 designating a target point within the visual representation based on operator input; 
 designating a transition point within the visual representation based on operator input; 
 advancing the unmanned robotic vehicle toward a target location in the environment based on an automatic navigation response to the designated target point, which includes automatically determining a planned route from a current unmanned robotic vehicle position to the target location; and 
 advancing the unmanned robotic vehicle to the transition point, wherein the robotic vehicle is caused to reconfigure from a first pose corresponding to a first mode of operation to a second pose corresponding to a second mode of operation. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target location is defined as an operator-defined displacement from a point in the environment corresponding to the target point. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 updating the visual representation of the environment on the operator console as the unmanned robotic vehicle moves through the environment; and 
 re-designating the target point within the updated visual representation based on additional operator input. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying a visual representation of the planned route on the operator console. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising modifying the planned route based on operator input. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a target path within the visual representation based on the operator input; and 
 automatically navigating the unmanned robotic vehicle to follow a travel path in the environment correlated with the target path. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating the target point comprises touching the operator console at the target point on the visual representation of the environment. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein designating the target point comprises placing an electronic cursor at the target point on the visual representation of the environment. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the target point is defined by entering coordinates into the operator console. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising augmenting the visual representation of the environment using additional environmental information obtained independently of the unmanned robotic vehicle. 
     
     
       11. The method  claim 10 , wherein the additional environmental information is obtained from an electronic map. 
     
     
       12. The method  claim 10 , wherein the additional environmental information is obtained from a second environmental sensor. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the second environmental sensor is mounted on a second unmanned robotic vehicle. 
     
     
       14. The method  claim 10 , wherein the additional environmental information is obtained from a GPS receiver. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a characteristic of the environment from the sensor information; and 
 modifying unmanned robotic vehicle behavior based on the characteristic. 
 
     
     
       16. A system for providing point and go navigation of an unmanned robotic vehicle, the system comprising:
 a) an unmanned robotic vehicle having an environmental sensor and a transmitter and receiver unit, and being capable of controlled movement within an environment; and 
 b) a remote operator console in bi-directional communication with the unmanned robotic vehicle, the remote operator console comprising:
 i) a receiver for receiving sensor information from the unmanned robotic vehicle; 
 ii) a display for displaying a visual representation of the environment based on the sensor information received from the environmental sensor; 
 iii) an operator input function for defining at least one of a target point and a transition point on the visual representation, and 
 iv) a transmitter for transmitting navigational commands to the unmanned robotic vehicle based on the target point, 
 wherein the vehicle automatically determines a planned route from a current unmanned robotic vehicle position to a target location in the environment based at least in part on the target point, and 
 wherein the vehicle, upon reaching the transition point, reconfigures from a first pose corresponding to a first mode of operation to a second pose corresponding to a second mode of operation. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the navigational commands comprise target point coordinates. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the target point coordinates are defined relative to the visual representation. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the navigational commands comprise a series of movement commands. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the environmental sensor is chosen from the group consisting of a camera, a stereo camera, a sound sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a chemical sensor, a radar, a lidar, a range finder, a scanning range finder, a sonar, a contact sensor, a sniff sensor, a GPS receiver, an inertial measurement unit, an orientation sensor, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       21. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the display and operator input are provided by a touch screen. 
     
     
       22. The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a communication link between the unmanned robotic vehicle and the remote operator console. 
     
     
       23. The system of  claim 22 , wherein the communication link is selected from the group consisting of a wireless radio frequency link, a free space optical link, a free space ultrasonic link, a wired link, a fiber optic link, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       24. The system of  claim 23 , wherein the communication link further comprises at least one relay node.